The Fort George Blog

Coinciding with the annual Astoria Regatta, Fort George Brewery and the Hollywood Theatre present a special outdoor showing of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, starring Bill Murray. Don your red caps and assemble the crew in the Fort George courtyard, as Team Zissou takes you on an underwater hunt for the mysterious Jaguar Shark. The expedition begins Friday, August 7th at sundown.

As part of an ongoing summer partnership, the Hollywood Theatre and Fort George brewed a small-batch collaborative beer. Christened Vertigo Effect, this Prohibition-era pale ale was first tapped in Portland at the 89th anniversary party for the historic not-for-profit landmark. Now, the Hollywood Theatre is coming back to the coast, with a portable screen in tote and a Wes Anderson classic to show. Look for Vertigo Effect, a very limited draft only release, at the event on Friday and while it lasts.

Bring your chairs, pack your blankets, and arrive early or you might be put on the “B” Squad – seating in the courtyard is limited. This outdoor screening is free and open to all ages with parental supervision.

Fort George is bringing back the 4th of July 3-Day 3-Way in Astoria, but this year they’re adding a beer party on the block. It’s a courtyard celebration with hand-picked beers on tap from every 3-Way IPA collaborator: Lompoc, Gigantic, Block 15, Boneyard, Georgetown, and Pfriem. And you’ll be able to enjoy fresh batches of all three years of Fort George 3-Way IPA, assembled in one location for the first time ever.

Friday, July 3rd

Live music from 5pm to 10pm with The Sam Stoners, Michael Hurley, The Resolectrics, and the Quick and Easy Boys.

Buy your festival cup a day early in the Taproom – $10 for the cup and your first fill. Then prep your palate with a taster tray loaded with beers from previous 3-Way IPA collaborators.

Saturday, July 4th

Live music from 2pm to 10pm with Kelsey Mousley Band, Aaron Mark Brown and his band, James Kindle and the Eastern Oregon Playboys, The Quick and Easy Boys, and Tango Alpha Tango.

The 3-Day 3-Way IPA party begins in the courtyard (*festival cup required for these beers*). Select picks from Gigantic, Lompoc, Boneyard, Block 15, Georgetown, Pfriem, and Fort George, all chosen by the brewery owners. Taps pour at 2pm following the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Live music from 5pm to 10pm with Dedric Clark and the Social Animals, Jamie Leopold and the Short Stories, Tim Snider, and The Brownsmead Flats.

Plenty of 3-Way IPA collaborator guest taps in the Taproom, plus all three years of 3-Way IPA. Growler fills and taster trays. Brewery games in the courtyard, including a corn hole tourney.

Legal Disclaimers:

If you have 4th of July plans already booked, you may need to cancel them. Fort George is not responsible for any non-refundable deposits or cancellation charges that you may incur. Consider this the price of freedom.

All areas of Fort George Brewery – Upstairs, Downstairs, and the Taproom – will be open for business as usual. The 3-Way IPA party in the courtyard on Saturday is cash only, festival mug required for tasting. Live music is your right – never a cover.

Unlike three-way jokes (which never get old), 3-Way IPA should be as fresh as possible. The small batch, draft only re-brews of 2013 and 2014 3-Way IPA are available only on the coast, and they will go quickly. Don’t dawdle.

There are no pre-sale tickets, lanyards, badges, saved spots in line, or passes. Party cups will be available starting Friday, July 3rd in the Taproom.

Book your rooms, buy your bus tickets, or start hitchhiking now. This is an Independence Day celebration of 3-Way IPA you do not want to miss. Happy birthday to America.

Preparations for a 3-Way IPA can be intricate, as you may imagine. Where do you begin? How does one approach a 3-Way IPA with a collaborator? With all of the amazing brewers out there, how do you choose? Well, it turns out the first step is to invite them out to dinner.

This year’s collaboration began back in January at the Fort George Indian & IPA Brewer’s Dinner. Manny Chao arrived from Seattle with a keg of Eddie IPL, and Josh Pfriem brought along a Double IPA from Hood River. Jack Harris and Chris Nemlowill (and Beta IPA and Vortex) filled out the table. After five courses of spicy food and hoppy ales, a leisurely tour around Astoria’s nighttime establishments, and a few awkward late night photos in front of “The Pig,” everyone retired for the night in their respective rooms.

The following day – bright and early at 11 am sharp – the recipe meeting commenced behind closed doors in the Lovell Taproom.

Jack: I really like the way you guys make your IPAs.

Manny: Thanks Jack. So, do we shoot for something different, or keep it something West Coast?

Jack: We can make anything you guys want, as long as it’s an IPA.

Potential hop varieties, packed into 8-oz Mason jars, circulated around the table. Aromas were analyzed, ideas were bandied about, and samples were sampled.

“I think we all agree, we want it to be dry, we want it to be aromatic, and we want it to be hoppy,” Manny summarized

“Landing in that sweet spot, right around five and a half percent,” Manny continued.

“A 5.7% ABV beer with over four pounds per barrel…you’re going to get a LOT of hops,” Jack noted.

Duly noted.

THIS YEAR’S 3-WAY IPA

From the moment you pop the can, hop aroma hits you right in the nose. Fruit forward, with a crescendo of tropical and citrus flavors – 3-Way IPA presents an ensemble of Simcoe, Meridian, Citra, and Equinox hops. Enjoy a lustrous and lively play across the palate.

Fort George’s 3-Way IPA is a collaboration of craft, a chance to exchange ideas and knowledge with brewers who are doing fantastic things with IPAs. Every summer features a new collaboration, a different recipe, and a unique 16-oz can design, but with the same 3-Way IPA name.

THE TOUR

Come hang out and grab a pint of 3-Way IPA, along with several other IPAs from Fort George, Georgetown, and Pfriem. The 3-Way IPA Tour is coming to a Pacific Northwest city near you.

A Seattle craft brewery focused on doing one thing right… draft beer. Started by Roger Bialous and Manny Chao… a couple of beer loving local boys who brewed up a pretty darn tasty beer in the garage (actually it was the back deck, but garage sounded better). Sorry, no brewpub, but they do have a retail shop where you can pick up kegs to go, growlers, and perhaps get a taste of their newest beer before it’s released. Or you could be social and get out to your favorite local watering hole. If Georgetown beer is not on tap, let them know and they’ll do their best to pester ’em into submission.

PFRIEM

The goals for the brewery were modest: to build a business that was tightly integrated with their family lives, to honor the place they call home, and to create a warm, friendly space where others could experience the creations. The goals for the creations themselves are anything but modest.

Pfriem artisanal beers are symphonies of flavor and balance, influenced by the great brewers of Belgium, but unmistakably true to their homegrown roots in the Pacific Northwest. Although they are served humbly, each glass is overflowing with pride and a relentless aspiration to brew the best beer in the world.

FORT GEORGE

Locally owned and operated in historic downtown Astoria, Oregon, Fort George crafts original beers available only in the Pacific Northwest. Whether in cans or kegs, at the pub or on your front porch, Fort George beer brings people together in aromatic headiness and lupulin ecstasy. For more information about Fort George, go to www.fortgeorgebrewery.com or follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat @FortGeorgeBeer.

3-Way IPA is available in 16-oz four-packs and draft starting May 22nd. Fort George beer is distributed only in the Pacific Northwest.